Jan 29
Captain Cook’s HMS Endeavour Found After 250 Years in Rhode Island Harbor
- Scott Way
- 10 hours ago
- 4 min read
The HMS Endeavour, the ship commanded by fabled British explorer Captain James Cook during his first voyage of discovery, has been discovered in Rhode Island.
The iconic 97-foot British naval research vessel was deliberately sunk in 1778 during the American Revolutionary War. Thanks to a team of researchers at The Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM), her final resting place was uncovered at the bottom of Newport Harbor, Rhode Island.
The group's final report confirms the identity of the wreck long known as RI 2394. RI 2394 was first linked back to the Endeavor in 1999 thanks to two Australian historians, Mike Connell and Des Liddy, which triggered the state of Rhode Island to lay claim to the wrecks of all ships scuttled in Newport Harbor in 1778. The U.S. federal government upheld the state's claim, which left the Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission (RIHPHC) "responsible for protecting and licensing any archaeological work on these shipwrecks," including the Endeavor.
“This final report is the culmination of 25 years of detailed and meticulous archaeological study on this important vessel,” said ANMM director Daryl Karp. “It has involved underwater investigation in the US and extensive research in institutions across the globe.”
The HMS Endeavor, like Cook, has a story that spans years of exploration and discovery. She was first launched in 1764 under the name Earl of Pembroke, before being purchased by the British Navy in 1768 and renamed His Majesty's Bark Endeavor, later reduced to simply HMS Endeavor for short.
On his first voyage aboard the Endeavour, Cook charted the eastern coastline of Australia, circumnavigated both islands of New Zealand, and mapped numerous inhabited islands known as the Society Islands and French Polynesia between 1768 and 1771. In doing so, he claimed them all for Great Britain.
HMS Endeavour was sold in 1775 and repurposed first as a lumber transport to the Baltic, and then as a military transport vessel. It was then sold to the shipping company Mather & Co., who renamed the vessel Lord Sandwich. It was the Lord Sandwich, previously the Endeavor, that was scuttled off Rhode Island during the American Revolutionary War in 1778 alongside four other vessels. The ships were sunk in an effort to blockade Newport Harbor to prevent supplies from making it to American Revolutionary forces.
Cook's travels and influence in the Americas still carry controversy. While the adventurer is celebrated as a pioneering explorer and navigator, his voyages also marked the beginning of a colonial presence that influenced Oceania — specifically Hawaii.
During his third Pacific expedition in 1779, Cook was killed in Hawaii after a confrontation with local inhabitants while captaining the HMS Resolution. After getting stuck in ice in the Bering Strait and failing to find the Northwest Passage, Cook decided to winter his ships in Hawaii. He was killed by native Hawaiian islanders during a misunderstanding with the royal family there.
Prior to his reputation as a naval explorer, Cook already had an extensive military career. During the Seven Years' War, he served in North America as master aboard the Navy vessel HMS Pembroke. With others in Pembroke's crew, he took part in a major amphibious assault that captured the Fortress of Louisbourg from the French in 1758. He also took part in the siege of Quebec City in 1759.
Now, 247 ears later, researchers at ANMM say the HMS Endeavor has been conclusively identified. The wreck was matched with historic plans of the Endeavour, with researchers stating that the timber placements used to shape the hull correspond exactly with the original layout.
“The size of all the timber scantlings are almost identical to Endeavour, and I’m talking within millimeters – not inches, but millimeters,” said ANMM archaeologist Kieran Hosty.
“This stem scarf is also a very unique feature — we’ve gone through a whole bunch of 18th-century ship’s plans, and we can’t find anything else like it,” he added.
Analysis of the wood used to build the ship was also determined to be of British origin. That detail supports existing record showing the Endeavour underwent repairs in 1776 by British naval shipwrights.
However, even with the new evidence, some controversy remains. When ANMM released their preliminary findings in 2022, their U.S.-based research partner, the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project (RIMAP), disputed the announcement. The group claimed the release was premature and did not adequately recognize their leadership role in the project.
ANMM did acknowledge RIMAP’s contribution in the final report, stating that while the group “continues to accept that RI 2394 may be Endeavour,” they are “not ruling out other candidate shipwreck sites.”
Still, ANMM archaeologist James Hunter believes the evidence is sufficient. Because Endeavor was intentionally scuttled, it stands to reason that keynote features like the ship's bell wouldn't be found with the wreckage.
“Anything that was of value would have been stripped out of that ship before it was sunk,” he said. “But what has been recovered up to this point is indicative of an 18th-century time frame.”
“You’ll never find a sign saying ‘Cook was here,’” said Hosty. “We’ve got a whole series of things pointing to RI 2394 as being Endeavour. And so far we found lots of things that tick the box for it to be Endeavour and nothing on the site which says it’s not.” #news #culture
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